A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious and less so, and rolling four lines deep. Our elite paragraphs don’t read like elite paragraphs.
1. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ identity is to score goals with gleeful abandon, to punish the opposition with game-breaking skill and a well-oiled power-play.
That’s how they’re built. That’s how they thrive.
So, when the Leafs submitted a second stinker in four tries Monday at home, to the Connor Bedard–hunting Arizona Coyotes no less, we’re not sure anyone took coach Sheldon Keefe’s assessment of his players’ underwhelming performance as cross-the-line critical.
Heck, through five games, the bench boss is bending over backward to give his top guns chances to cash in:
Goal scoring is up (again) league-wide, storming out at a clip of 3.32 goals per team per game.
Yet the supposed high-flying Maple Leafs haven’t scored more than thrice in one night and are averaging 2.8 strikes per game (24th overall).
In short, they aren’t executing to their identity. Their elite players haven’t broken out with elite production.
That Keefe gently called out the top end of his payroll — and not even by name — shouldn’t be an issue.
“You want to be elite, and you want to get paid elite, people are gonna have their comments. It comes with the territory,” says Dallas star and Toronto native Tyler Seguin, watching the drama unfold.
“I’m sure those guys still slept fine at night and are going to be all right. I can speak for myself as well. We have a circle of people we trust and we love — and everything else is just kind of noise.”
What’s noteworthy is that Keefe felt it necessary to admit publicly that he used some “wrong words” in his critique of the Coyotes loss. (FWIW, I thought his words were bang-on, and I bet he learns from this misstep.)
Is it because Keefe’s No. 1 supporter, GM Kyle Dubas, is without contract security? Or because Auston Matthews’ long-term future in Toronto is uncertain? Or because a message he’s tried desperately to impart — stop sleepwalking against weak opponents — isn’t sticking?
This is the second time the head coach walked back pointed criticism of his skaters (see: “soft and purposeless,” January 2022).
Does that mean Keefe is bending to a sensitive player or two? That he’s been instructed from higher up to calm the waters? We’re not certain, but it does crack a door for speculation.
Keefe could have simply doubled down and said: “Our best players have better to give, and I believe they will respond.” End of story.
Instead, in all his efforts to pat backs and over-clarify and control an unmanageable mass of reporters and talking heads, the coach has sketched a fragile outline of leadership.
True or not, we’re left with the impression that these “unacceptable” performances by Keefe’s players are, well, to be accepted. Next time Toronto no-shows, who gets benched? Scratched? Taken off the top line? We’re curious.
Because actions clearly wield more power than words in these quarters.
That the Maple Leafs are more tolerant of sloppy shifts than sloppy press conferences should be the big concern.
2. Let’s be frank. The Dallas Stars played slow last season.
They preferred a clogged-up, defensive, low-event contest. God bless ’em, they bored their way into the postseason and dressed “a helluva goalie” (former Flame Calle Järnkrok’s phrase) that nearly stole them a round.
Peter DeBoer has provided a breath of fresh air in Texas.
So, what’s the biggest difference since the new coach rolled into town?
“Team speed,” Tyler Seguin supplies, answering our question as quick as his group now conducts its business. “Just as a five-man unit, with how fast our puck moves, not even talking about legs. How north we play.”
Seguin and Denis Gurianov will speak to the reduction of dump-ins, the increased emphasis on possession, and how that style has jolted a dormant offence. Credit DeBoer.
“I don’t want to give away too much, but he’s just made our team speed really high,” Seguin says. “And he’s made hockey fun around here as well.”
DeBoer notes that, in recent history, the Stars have stumbled out the gate. His staff placed a strong emphasis on flying on the gates, and the Central Division leaders (3-0-1) haven’t lost in regulation yet.
The players, Coach notes, haven’t only embraced his new system; they’re executing at a reliable level and enjoying coming to the rink.
It’s early, of course, but the Stars have snatched five points of a possible six points and have juiced their goals-per-game rate from 2.84 last season (21st overall) to 3.75.
DeBoer could point to Miro Heiskanen’s status as a bona fide No. 1 D-man or Mason Marchment’s edginess.
“But I think more important is just the leadership,” the veteran coach says. “We’ve got a great group of older leaders in our room — led by Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, and Tyler Seguin — that have a lot of pride and want to win a Stanley Cup.”
Ditto DeBoer himself.
3. Here’s Montreal Canadiens rookie Juraj Slafkovsky on Cloud 9: “It’s funny. I was calling my friends, saying, ‘Yeah, I played against Crosby tonight. Two days before I played against Ovechkin.’ Whoa, it’s like a dream. NHL on PS4 in real life.”
Slafkovsky, 18, is experiencing the same feelings fellow first-overall pick Auston Matthews did in 2016.
Matthews, whom Slafkovsky signalled out as a favourite to study, recalls reading an article on Seth Jones (a 2013 freshman) before he entered league.
Jones’s comments as a wide-eyed teen stuck with him.
“It’s pretty cool. One night you’re playing against Crosby, the next night it’s Kane and Toews, all these guys. It’s really eye-opening, and it’s cool and fun. You’re playing against somebody great every night,” Matthews recalls Jones saying.
“Then that [happy awe]wears off because you realize it’s a grind, and every night you’re going to be playing some really good players. It’s an exciting time for guys like [Slafkovsky] who are stepping into their first season, playing guys they grew up watching and liked to watch and stuff,” Matthews says.
“But I really agreed with [Jones’] quote that it kinda wears off and you gotta be ready every game you go.”
4. In a perfect world, Keefe would rein in his big guns’ ice time and save their energy for that all-important opening round.
At the three-game mark, before things got Bridget Jones desperate, Matthews’ average time on ice had slipped from 20:37 to 19:47 year over year. Marner’s dropped from slightly from 20:53 to 20:44. Tavares’s dipped from 18:04 to 16:21. And Nylander’s from 18:16 to 17:31.
“It has changed for sure. With the group that we have and how we have the lineup spread out here now, I do have targets in mind that I won’t tell you, but for the most part I’ve stayed within those,” Keefe explained at the time.
The goal is to trust the bottom six more often, hand them a ton of D-zone draws and keep the big guns fresh for O-zone opportunities and the postseason.
Tight games and chasing goals, however, can spoil a coach’s ideal. And those ice times have crept up with the urgency to win.
“You want to manage the group and you want to have everybody involved. Because of the depth, we have a greater opportunity to use four lines and share a lot more responsibilities,” says Keefe. “For the most part, I want to really give everybody an opportunity to contribute and execute their role.”
The risk of reducing minutes, however, is creating a situation where your elite players fall out of sync.
“Can that help offensively? Or is it counterproductive because they fall out of rhythm a bit more because they’re sitting on the bench a bit longer?” Keefe wonders.
5. Daylight savings doesn’t kick in for a couple weeks, yet it already feels like it’s getting late early.
Asked a knowledgeable source which coach’s seat is the hottest after Week 1.
“Lindy Ruff,” he blurted in a blink. “See how long it took me to answer that?”
The “Fi-re! Lin-dy!” chants in New Jersey were brutal as the Devils stumbled to a 0-3 start.
Meanwhile in Vancouver, Bruce Boudreau’s “mentally weak” (his phrase) Vancouver Canucks blew four consecutive multi-goal leads — an NHL first, at any point in the season — as well as five leads. They already held a players-only postgame meeting. And ownership, not management, picked Boudreau.
Minnesota’s Dean Evason (1-3-0, with no regulation wins and a minus-7 goal differential) is getting heat from the Wild fan base for his lineup decisions. His team is last in the Central, behind the tanking Coyotes.
The pressure to succeed — and fast! — is high in these markets, but it may be misguided.
Does the Devils brass truly believe they did enough during the off-season to make up the 37 points by which they missed a wildcard spot last season? This was a minus-59 team last winter, and its goaltending issues have not been solved. Andrew Brunette, who just coached his way to the Presidents’ Trophy, is lingering like a guillotine.
The dramatic way the Canucks have been losing is legitimately concerning, sure. But again, when you consider the other rosters in the Pacific Division — specifically, Calgary, Vegas, Edmonton, and L.A. — you’d be hard-pressed to be guaranteed that Vancouver’s is playoff-worthy. I love Luke Schenn; I don’t love him on the top pairing of a contender in 2023.
(Sidebar: Has Quinn Hughes looked as consistent or as dangerous since Chris Tanev jumped one province east?)
As these firestorms spark in various NHL cities, ask yourself: Is this really a coaching issue? Or have unrealistic expectations been placed by GMs and/or ownership on mediocre assemblies of talent.
6. As vultures circle NHL coaches, an under-the-radar candidate for his first head job is Cory Stillman, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and 1,000-game player.
The 48-year-old severed on the development staffs in Florida and Carolina before enjoying some success behind an OHL bench in Sudbury. He’s been serving as an assistant coach for rebuilding Arizona since 2020.
A younger, eager voice worth considering.
7. If I’m going to knock the NHL for cash grabs that turn me off (sweater ads and those distracting digital dasherboards), then it’s only fair I give it up for the sweet marketing ploy that is the Reverse Retro movement. Just in time for Christmas shopping!
Overall, this season’s batch of artistically twisted throwback sweaters trumps the lot trotted out in 2020.
Some teams avoiding criticism by playing it simple and safe (looking at you, Toronto and Winnipeg). Some shamelessly resurrected ugliness of the past (Edmonton, Calgary, Boston) or turned the shoulder patch into the main crest (Florida, Vancouver, Colorado). While others ushered back past beauties (Anaheim, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, Islanders).
Chicago appears to purposely steering clear of the chief logo for obvious reasons. Montreal’s baby blue gives us some much-needed Expos vibes. While Philadelphia (Cooperalls!) and Vegas (glow in the dark!) will bring extra flair.
I’m big on the San Jose Sharks’ nod to the California Golden Seals and hope they go with white skates and gloves when they suit up in these. Makes me think Carolina (Hartford Whalers) and New Jersey (Kansas City Scouts) could’ve dived into their deep past and come up with something a little bolder.
Nevertheless, I’m here for the concept and would welcome another batch in 2024.
8. In tumbling-down-the-silly-rabbit-hole news, TikTok user “No Problem Gambler” took on the ridiculous challenge of detecting which blurry hockey game was playing in the background of an episode of NCIS.
Too much time on our hands? Absolutely.
Was I sucked into the way he sleuthed out some random fourth-division German league pro game from years ago? You betcha.
@noproblemgambler Replying to @beckettalves This one is for all of the 4th division German hockey fans who watch my videos #sports #hockey #ncis #germany original sound – No Problem Gambler
9. The San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators have combined for one victory, going a dismal 1-6-1 since returning from Europe, where they kicked off the season as part of the league’s Global Series.
Jetlag ain’t no joke.
10. Toronto’s defensive centre, David Kämpf, doesn’t just have the NAK (Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, his winger). He’s got the knack — for scoring clutch goals.
The Leafs improved to 14-0-0 Saturday (regular season and playoffs) in those games when Kämpf, a defensive-minded centre, finds the net. He scored two biggies in the Tampa series last spring, and the D-zone denizen frequently finds himself triggering comebacks or slipping in game-winners.
“I don’t know if he has scored an unimportant goal for us in his time here,” Keefe smiles. “He finds ways to score big goals at key times. That is a nice characteristic to have.”
A look at Kämpf’s first strike of 2022-23 — a redirect off a Jake Muzzin slap-pass — reveals an in-game execution of a set play the Leafs (among other teams) work on to fool goaltenders.
“It is a simple play that we practise quite frequently,” Keefe says. “In that moment, it is what it called for. He was there.”
11. Those wondering if the removal of Barry Trotz’s dump-and-chase shackles would lead to more offence on Long Island have been blessed with early ammunition.
Under their first four games with head coach Lane Lambert, the New York Islanders scored seven times in their opener (something they didn’t do once last season) and are averaging 3.5 goals per game.
Unsustainable, maybe, but promising when it comes to entertaining UBS Arena.
By comparison, the Isles scored 2.79 goals per game in 2021-22 and 2.71 in 2020-21.
In a 3-2 league, they haven’t cracked the three-goals-per-game barrier since 2017-18.
12. Ilya Lyubushkin is making his impact felt in Buffalo.
